Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo hosts its first two-day show on September 28-29, 2013 at in Porter Square, Cambridge, MA! The event is a joint project between the Boston Comics Roundtable, an independent arts collective, and the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University; MICE puts a focus on the art of making comics and connects local creators with local audience. They will also run a number of workshops for children and adults, as well as panel discussions on the craft and relevance of the comics form. MICE is for anyone of any age who wants to discover new comics, learn more about the medium of comics, or is interested in making their own. Sunday is Kids Day, featuring workshops for the young cartoonist.

MICE 2013 is pleased to welcome eight comic creators to our show as our special guests: Chris Duffy, George O’Connor, Josh Neufeld, Lucy Knisley, Maris Wicks, Mike Cavallaro, Nick Abadzis, and R. Sikoryak. They will appear at their tables in the exhibition area, as well as at various panels and workshops over the weekend.

12:00PM – 12:50PM

Character Drawing with Bob Flynn: Bob will demonstrate the importance of bringing life and movement into your drawings and characters. Drawing fast, posing characters, using a line of action, loose construction—merging energy with draftsmanship.

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Fold-Out Comics with Jon Chad: If you thought that a book is just made up of a cover, back cover, and all the business in-between, think again! There is a wide variety of folding and book construction techniques that can help create a truly unique reading experience. Jon Chad from the Center for Cartoon Studies will walk through the basics of comic-making and how to make your own unfolding minicomic!

2:30PM – 3:20PM

Digital Tools for the Comic Book Artist with David Marshall: Do you draw comics but are afraid of digital art programs? Comics veteran David Marshall shares his techniques. Digital tips include cleaning up scans, prepping for print or web, color, production and lettering. Learn comics-specific tricks for Photoshop and Illustrator.

3:30PM – 4:20PM

Drawing with NO PAIN! Injury Prevention for Cartoonists with Kriota Willberg: Many cartoonists and artists suffer from pain and injury caused by hours and hours of drawing. Are you one of them? Are you afraid that you will become one of them? This workshop describes common injuries and their causes, presents guidelines that can help prevent drawing injuries, and teaches simple exercises that can help reduce the risk of getting injured.

PANELS

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Comics and Medicine
Health, illness, and the physical body are major themes in many graphic novels (such as Cancer Vixen, Epileptic, and Stitches). Doctors, patients, and health educators are getting involved with comics as teaching tools and as a method of self-expression and exploring physical and mental conditions.Moderator:Cathy LeamyPanelists:Kriota Willberg, LB Lee, Paige Warren.

12:00PM – 12:50PM

Comics and Creative Careers
You have your first paid drawing gig … now what? A panel of working cartoonists discuss the challenges and rewards of drawing for a living in the fields of comics, illustration and animation. Topics will include how to balance creativity and professionalism, what to expect in various fields of employment, and some helpful anecdotes from the artists’ careers.Moderator: Zack Giallongo Panelists:Shelli Paroline (artist, Kaboom! Studios), Keith Zulawnik (artist, Fablevision), Renee Kurilla (artist, Fablevision, Simon & Schuster), Ming Doyle (artist, Marvel, IDW)

1:00PM – 2:15PM

R. Sikoryak: Classics and Career
For twenty years, stylistic chameleon R. Sikoryak has been producing literary adaptations in comics form that parody the tics and tropes of classic cartoons; these are collected in Masterpiece Comics (Drawn and Quarterly). He will discuss his work and process, as well as his varied freelance career for Nickelodeon, The New Yorker, The Daily Show, and much more, in a special slideshow presentation.

2:30PM – 3:20PM

Iron Cartoonist
MICE pits top cartoonists against each other in a live drawing event. Utilizing theme “ingredients” KC Green, Ellen Crenshaw, and Braden Lamb will each compete to win prizes for the audience and the ultimate cartooning title.

3:30PM – 4:20PM

Comics and Religion
Religion intersects comics and comics intersect religion in a multitude of ways. Enter into a discussion with regional comics creators and scholars on the promise and the peril of these engagements. Moderator A. David Lewis asks the panel whether comics is just another medium and religion just another topic — or whether the two are innately bound to each other.Moderator: A. David LewisPanelists:Charles Schneeflock Snow, Box Brown, David Wolkin

4:30PM – 5:20PM

Mixing Media
Artists who use “fine arts” techniques to make comics… artists who use comics techniques to make “fine art” …an art gallery director who hangs comic art on her gallery’s walls… What are the boundaries between fine arts and comics? Are there any? Should there be any? Whatever the answers may be, we’ll look at and discuss some fine comics art and some comical fine art.Moderator:Tim FinnPanelists: Doug De Rocher, EJ Barnes, Adrienne Nunez, Ansis Purins, Raul Gonzalez, Cathi Chang

12pm – Foldy Comics! – Jerel Dye presents an innovative way of making a your own comic book from a single sheet of paper. This is a kid-friendly workshop or for anyone just getting started in the comic craft.

Comics & …! is a day-long program of panel discussions exploring diverse topics in independent comics. Each panel will take place in University Hall’s Amphitheater, 2nd Floor.

COMICS & TEACHING: Beyond Maus and Persepolis

11:00 AM - Comics such as Spiegelman’s Maus and Satrapi’s Persepolis have found a solid foothold as legitimate classroom texts. However, there are many other noteworthy graphic novels that could also find their way into the K-16 curriculum. This panel will explore specific strategies for teaching comics and teaching with comics, looking past the “canonical” texts noted above.

COMICS & CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Smart Comics For Kids

12:15 PM – This panel of writers, artists, and reviewers will discuss today’s comics storytelling for kids, the challenges of appealing to different age groups, and the changing roles of such “gatekeepers” as librarians, comic shops, publishers, parents, and digital portals.

COMICS & SOCIAL JUSTICE: Cartoons with a Cause

1:30 PM – Our panelists discuss ways in which the comics medium can be valuable in political discourse, and how independent comics can be an important focus of community activism as well as provide voices for — and representations of — minorities and other marginalized groups.

COMICS & FASHION : Project: Rooftop

2:45 PM – Since 2006 the Project : Rooftop website has examined the trend of independent illustrators redesigning superhero costumes, and now the discussion goes live at MICE! This panel will focus on a few comic book characters, looking at how they’ve been visually interpreted over the years by professionals and fans alike.

COMICS & COLLABORATION: Teamwork 101

4:00 PM – Many of the best comics and graphic novels are created through collaboration between a writer and artist. This panel will present several experienced teams of artists and writers, to share their insights on the pleasures and pitfalls of creative teamwork. How are comics partnerships formed and successfully maintained to produce the optimum results? What surprises have writers and artists encountered in the process of collaboration? What should less experienced creators seeking collaborators look for or be wary of?

MODERATOR: Alexander Danner PANELISTS: TBA

COMICS & TECHNOLOGY: Digital Comics

5:15 PM – Digital creation and distribution of comics are here to stay and will only get more important to the future of the medium. What are the best platforms – currently, or on the horizon — for the production and delivery of digital comics? How can artists and writers adapt themselves to new devices and software, and what improvements can be anticipated? What are the implications of these new technologies for the artist’s work and income?

Team ZombieBomb!, Hub Comics, and Bloc 11 Gallery host an art fundraiser event for the family of former Hub Comics owner James Welborn on Sunday July 10, 2011 in Somerville, MA. James passed away very recently and we as a community want to give back to his store, his child, and his family. James was very supportive of all our efforts, as well as to the rest of the local comic scene.

Come see us at the Bloc 11 Gallery Sunday, July 10th from 2-6pm to participate in a silent auction featuring work from comic book artists of every stripe who have come together to honor James’s memory. With A-list work both on display and available for sale, this is a unique opportunity for art fans to get their hands on some amazing original artwork, and to help a great cause while doing it. Contributions include pages by superstar artists John Byrne, Tim Truman, Esad Ribic, Dick Ayers, Jim Mahfood as well as pieces donated by local artists such as Joe Quinones, Maris Wicks, Adam Miller, Liz Prince, Rich Woodall, Meghann Brideau, David Marshall, Andrew Houle, Josh Morrissette, and many more. Several of these locals will be on hand Sunday.

Additionally, Hub Comics will have a storewide sale all day with savings from 10% to 50% off almost everything in the store. Hub is located right next door to Bloc 11, making Bow Street a prime destination for any comic book and zombie fan within driving distance.

James Welborn, founder of Hub Comics, died on May 23rd, 2011. Originally from Nevada, James came to Massachusetts to work in the computer industry. He always loved comic books, and wanted to raise awareness that comics could tell any story and be read by anyone of any age. He built Hub Comics to be not only a comic shop, but a friendly neighborhood destination for fans, artists, children, and families. His smile and gentle greeting of “How’s it going?” will be missed by Union Square.

A trust fund has been set up to provide for James’s family. Please contact Hub Comics for more information.